We have continued to make some adjustments to our new theme to accommodate readers and believe we have swatted most of the bugs, particularly those related to images and buttons not functioning properly on certain browsers.  We have also made some changes to help make the site look better for those using lower resolution settings.  Even most netbooks should be seeing some improvement.  We still have work to do on the mobile browsing side, and will be working on that behind the scenes during this week.

I believe the two column format is an improvement for Stop the Cap! and my writing style, so we will be sticking with it going forward.

Readers will notice the right column contains a new “donate” button.  I have been considering how to help defray the expenses of maintaining this site, and what expenses we are likely to have going forward, especially when the Cap ‘n Tier issue rears its ugly head once again.  I intend to begin preparing information for elected officials I can share with them offline, and build our infrastructure and organization to more effectively reach out to affected communities.  That takes some money, which I am spending out of pocket myself at the moment.  If you feel comfortable in helping to defray these kinds of expenses, you can use the donate link which will connect you through Paypal to a donation processing page where you can securely use a credit or debit card.  I will be updating our contact page this week as well with our contact details so one can contribute by mail as well.

The alternative was advertising, and while I don’t have a problem with programs like Google Adsense which don’t pollute the page with all sorts of screen junk, the fact is, I know for certain the contextual advertising programs would throw ads at you for Internet service providers, many on our “naughty list.”  There is no way I am going to promote any provider that is engaged in anti-consumer behavior.  I think it’s important for us to maintain credibility and integrity.  We are an all-consumer group, with no industry or political ties.  Anything that could color or shade that perception is a detriment to our goals.  Therefore, voluntary contributions seems to be the way to go for now.

The “cap” issue has been quiet for the last week or so, and the quantity of new content has dropped a bit here, but that does not mean the issue is at all dead.  I have been working on several projects behind the scenes and laying some additional groundwork to prepare us for the battles to come.  You will see a number of articles coming here which, at first glance, may seem to be slightly off point.  But trust me when I say they are not.  A lot of things written here will connect right back to our issues, and it has been effective to be able to explain to an elected official that we’ve got a track record of following these issues that we can later connect the dots on.

Starting this week, you will see a considerable amount of attention on two issues:

1. The debacle of FairPoint Communications, an independent telephone company that took over telephone/broadband service for a large part of rural New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine from Verizon.  They botched it, and are now receiving their own bailout.  FairPoint is a private company that promised wonderful things for a captive population in the upper northeast, and they’ve alienated three states.  The anti-municipal network crowd whines about taxpayer money going to what “should be” a private marketplace.  As we bring you the whole sordid story, we’ll show you why the private sector should never be given a monopoly or a free reign in an uncompetitive marketplace, especially in rural America. Many lessons may also apply to other Verizon customers about to become Frontier customers.
2. Following the money.  Jay Ovittore is following who got what for what in North Carolina.  This is a lesson every reader here will find easy to learn.  When an elected official suddenly takes an active interest in proposing or supporting legislation against the best interests of voters, there is always a reason for it.  More often than not, that reason comes in the form of a check with a lot of zeros on it.  On our issues, for too long, names have not been named and elected officials have gotten away with it because they figured the voters back home wouldn’t find out.  Those days are over.  We will name names, list amounts, and remind voters come election time who did the right thing, and who didn’t. There are good Republicans, Democrats, and independents on our issues, and there are bad Republicans, Democrats, and independents.  Political parties make no difference — voting records do.

Municipal networks and broadband remains a powerful response for any municipality facing an abusive telephone or cable provider.  That’s why we support them.  Since the majority of them aren’t interested in the game of Cap ‘n Tier for big profits, they are a solution for capped broadband.

Finally, there are a few other story tips we’ve gotten in e-mail that we are also following.  If you are interested in writing something for Stop the Cap! please use the contact form and volunteer.  We welcome new authors here!

Have a great week.